On Meditation and Life | May Newsletter

Welcome to the third edition of the Learn with Ivo Newsletter! Yaaay!

It’s been an intense month. So much happened — we saw many people, Marie, Cleo and I traveled for more than two weeks — first to the Schwarzwald and then to South Tyrol — and even planned the year.

I haven’t written much, but I still have a few beautiful things to share with you. Enjoy!

✨ Something by Ivo

My latest creative work.

In contrast to the previous month, I actually didn’t write anything aside form this newsletter (and collecting material for future content), but I still (co)created something:

🧘 ITM Practice Check-In

Together with my friend Lucy we are starting a regular online meditation interview session.

The call is planned to happen every second Monday evening. We’ll hold space for anyone who wants to share about their meditation practice, ask questions, and receive inspiration, feedback, or guidance.
The intention is to offer personalized guidance and support to help you deepen your practice.

And the best part: anyone is welcome!
So if you're interested in personalized guidance for getting started — or to help you deepen your meditation practice — feel warmly invited to join.

Next session:
Monday, May 19th, 2025
8–9 PM Central European Time
To join the video meeting, click this link: https://meet.google.com/uiw-rpxc-qqw

🛠️ Something to Use

A helpful tool or resource I recommend.

Voice to Text

I came across this at work, when a colleague mentioned how he used Microsoft Copilot by prompting it via voice-to-text on his phone — and got a lot of work done this way.

I set it up right away — by enabling Dictation in the keyboard settings on my iPhone. After that, a microphone icon appears on the keyboard that you can tap to start talking while your phone converts what you say to text.

Android users, this is how ChatGPT tells me you can activate it:

Go to Settings
Tap System (or General Management)
Tap Language & input
Select On-screen keyboard or Virtual keyboard
Tap Manage keyboards
Toggle on Google Voice Typing

I use it pretty much daily — for taking notes about my meditation sessions, sometimes for journaling, writing emails, or instead of typing a message on WhatsApp or recording a voice message.

In a way, it’s the best of both the text and voice message world — you can conveniently speak, and the receiver can read it (if they prefer).

For people who want or have to get a lot done on their phone, use their phone more than their laptop, or want to operate it with one hand — I think this can be a game changer.

Tip: You can still use the keyboard while dictation is on — for example, to start new lines or correct things.

💡 Something to Reflect On

Content that inspired me.

I'm not sure what to post here this time. So instead of spamming you, I decided to flip it around: here's a callout to you — please share inspiring content or something to reflect on with me!

🧘 Something on Meditation

Meditation-related inspiration.

🎥 Willoughby Britton – Why a Neuroscientist Would Study Meditation (TEDx)

17 minutes

I really like this talk — it offers some crucial insights on well-being and motivates why attention training and meditation practice in general are so important and powerful.

Here are my main takeaways:

Having everything we want (and being free of illness) doesn’t guarantee happiness. Our mental habits are what determine how we feel.
What we mentally “do” becomes our habit — and we’re often neither aware of it nor intentional.
- This is where brahmavihāra practice comes into play. By practicing compassion, loving-kindness, empathetic joy, and equanimity, these qualities become habits.
- This also motivates mindfulness, because mindfulness helps us in the moment to know what our mindas are doing and whether it’s beneficial or not.
Attentional control is essential.
- Happiness is linked to where our attention goes. Weak attention systems (like an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex) are connected to many mental health conditions.
- This obviously motivates attention and awareness training — awareness because it helps stabilize attention.

👉 Interested in working on these? Come to the Practice Check-In on Monday.

🎵 Something Beautiful

A quote, poem, or other beautiful piece.

My dear English teacher Ilse sent me this poem while I was living in Hong Kong, and I learned it by heart because I loved it so much.
For me, this poem reflects wisdom, courage and confidence in life, joy and freshness. Enjoy…

Life

by Henry Van Dyke

Let me but live my life from year to year,
With forward face and unreluctant soul,
Not hastening to, nor turning from the goal;
Nor mourning things that disappear
In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To youth and age, and travels on with cheer.
So let the way wind up the hill or down,
Through rough or smooth, the journey will be joy,
Still seeking what I sought when but a boy —
New friendship, high adventure, and a crown,
I shall grow old, but never lose life's zest,
Because the road's last turn will be the best.

If someone comes to mind who might appreciate it too — please forward it!

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